Cargo ships and cruise liners may soon be harnessing the power of wind and waves to reduce their carbon emissions thanks to EU-funded researchers. By Tom Cassauwers In August 2023, a five-year old cargo ship, Pyxis Ocean, made history when it set sail from Shanghai, China, heading towards the southern Brazilian port of Paranaguá. A … Read more
Microbes and fungi have long been nature’s helpers in producing fine food, drinks and medicine, but new digital technologies could unlock far greater potential for the European biotech sector. Beer may not be the answer to all of life’s problems, but the science behind it could help decarbonise industrial processes and clean up the environment. … Read more
EU-funded researchers are using biological matter to create unique new materials that can adapt to their environment and repair themselves. By Michaela Nesvarova The science fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke famously said that ‘any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.’ For Dr Kunal Masania, an associate professor of aerospace structures and materials at the … Read more
Commercial greenhouses in Europe are testing new energy and water efficiency technologies in support of the green transition. By Bárbara Pinho In the province of Almería in southeastern Spain, farmers grow an estimated 2.5 to 3.5 million tonnes of fruit and vegetables every year in what has become known as Almeria’s sea of greenhouses. In this … Read more
EU-funded researchers are using AI and satellite technologies to make the continent’s renewable energy infrastructure more reliable. By Jack McGovan Solar panels and wind turbines had to be shut down in Greece for a short period in May this year because the national electricity grid wasn’t able to absorb the amount of energy being produced. … Read more
Reusing wastewater could be the solution to Europe’s growing water scarcity problem. By Helen Massy-Beresford The 34 dairy cows chewing the cud on a floating platform in the port of Rotterdam probably aren’t thinking about water scarcity – a major challenge in the world today – but they are participating in a Europe-wide effort to … Read more